Printable summer schedule for kids to help you plan for fun days, with just enough structure to keep your sanity in place and a peaceful flow to the week.
Why a Summer Schedule for Kids is Super Helpful
Two Summers ago my kids graduated from preschool and since it was only a few months before they would enter Kindergarten and public school, I decided to throw our routine out the window and “role with it.”
I admit, I may have had visions of Little House on the Prairie with my kids making mud pies, climbing trees, living at the swimming pool, eating picnic lunches, and would be barefoot and sun kissed for the full three months.
Do you know what I did?
I didn’t plan a thing.
I didn’t sign them up for a class or camp and I didn’t fill our days with playdates and mini excursions. I just figured we’d fill our days as we went.
And you know what happened?
That lasted for about two weeks before I wanted to pull my hair out.
My kids started bickering more often, the house looked like it was ransacked and I had zero time to myself which made the days particularly long and tiring.
The problem?
My kids, as do most kids as well as many parents, do much better with structure in the form of a daily routine. And that Summer I through our routine right out the window, although I should have known better, and paid the price.
It wasn’t long until I sat down at the computer to enforce some structure – a plan for each day of the week.
With this simple Summer schedule for kids, there’s just enough structure for my sanity to stay firmly in place and
Why Kids Need Structure (and Moms, Too!)
It feels freeing to throw your routine out the window when the kids aren’t waking up for school and you don’t have to pack lunches, make breakfast and check backpacks every morning… but going without a flow to your days can only last so long before chaos takes over.
Kids feel safe with the predictability a schedule gives them. It helps them stay in control of their emotions and manage transitions without falling apart.
As a parent, a routine tells you what comes next whether that’s a meal, nap, rest time or time for an outing.
A routine tells you when each part of your day begins and ends, as well as help keep your children from being overtired so they can go to bed on time and without a battle.
If your kids are over the age of three, one of my favorite tools to keep our days flowing, is to use routine cards. All you do is print them out, put the cards in order of your day and let your kids follow the cards on their own.
The best part?
All three of my kids use these routine cards and now they follow them without any nagging, reminding or asking them a million times to make their bed.
What’s Inside the Summer Schedule Planner
The 6-page summer planner is colorful, cheery and fun… but also keeps your family organized and responsible for daily tasks before the fun can start!
Here’s what’s inside your printable summer schedule planner:
- Summer poster
- Weekly planner (to print and use each week of Summer)
- Ideas for fun things to do each day of the week
- Important dates to remember poster
- Morning checklist for kids including get dressed, make your bed, brush teeth, complete chores, etc.
- Blank template of the morning checklist to fill in for your specific schedule
Printable Summer Schedule for Kids Packet
Use this link to download your Summer Schedule for Kids planner set
More Summer Fun & Safety Resources:
- Creating Screentime Rules for Summer (Free Printable)
- Summer I Spy Printable Game Sheets (4 Free Sheets)
- 50 Activities & Experiments to Keep Kids Learning in Summer
- Family Fun: The Ultimate Summer Bucket List (& Free Printable)
- 24 Free Activities To Do with Your Kids This Summer
- Get the Facts about Dry Drowning. Signs of Secondary Drowning
- Lifesaving Water Safety & Pool Safety Rules Kids Need to be Taught
- Keep Your Family Safe: Tick Prevention & Safe Tick Removal
- What to Look for When Choosing a Safe Sunscreen for Kids
